Malik Monk is ready for ‘new stage’ as Kings’ point guard following De’Aaron Fox trade
Malik Monk signed with the Kings to play alongside childhood friend and former Kentucky teammate De’Aaron Fox.
He never imagined he would take Fox’s place as the team’s starting point guard, but that’s what happened Monday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Monk stepped into a new role to help the Kings beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-114 in their first game since Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that will bring Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Monk finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Kings, who needed a win in the worst way to end a grueling six-game road trip.
Playmaking is nothing new for Monk, who is averaging career highs of 18.0 points and 5.9 assists, but taking over as the team’s starting point guard represents a new opportunity and a new stage in his career.
“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely a new opportunity and stage,” Monk said. “Starting at point guard is a big opportunity, and it’s a big thing to feel in this league for sure, especially what Fox did for the organization, for the city of Sac, so I’m just trying to pick up where he left off.”
DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 33 points for the Kings (25-24), who lost four of five to start the road trip. Domantas Sabonis recorded his league-leading 43rd double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Naz Reid scored 30 points to lead the Timberwolves (27-23). Jaden Daniels scored 22 points and Anthony Edwards added 21 while Rudy Gobert posted 19 points and 13 rebounds.
DeRozan said the win was “big” for Sacramento.
“It was something we needed,” DeRozan said. “We’ve been struggling with a lot going on. This is a team that’s right there with us in the standings. Just trying to get back on the right track under all the circumstances we’ve been under, so it was big for us to come together and get this win.”
The Kings came out firing in the first quarter, going 11 of 14 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range to start the game. Murray had the hot hand early, scoring 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the opening period.
Sacramento led 38-34 at the end of the first quarter and went up 47-39 early in the second. The Kings led by as many as 12 late in the first half and carried a 67-59 advantage into the halftime break.
Both teams shot over 54% in the first quarter, but the Timberwolves went cold in the second. They hit just 8 of 23 (.348) from the field and 2 of 11 (.182) from 3-point range.
The Kings led by six when Sabonis went to the bench after being whistled for his fourth foul with 9:23 to play in the third quarter. The Timberwolves came back to tie the game on a basket by Edwards, but they trailed by two going into the fourth quarter.
Minnesota went up 91-90 lead on a 3-pointer by Reid early in the fourth quarter, but the Kings quickly reclaimed the lead and never trailed again. DeRozan hit three clutch shots in the final 2:51 and Monk made four free throws in the final 17.2 seconds to secure the win.
Sabonis said he’s confident in Monk’s ability to handle the point guard duties.
“He’s done it since we got here,” Sabonis said. “We saw it in spurts the first two years, and this year he’s had more of a chance to do it when Fox has been out and in crunch time, so I think he’s ready.”
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie agreed.
“He’s had so much growth since I’ve met him,” Christie said. “This period in his life, his basketball life, just watching him grow as a young man, I’m super, super proud of him, and then the opportunity presents itself for him to run a ball club. Like I told him, ‘I’m going to live with some of your mistakes.’
“Learning how to ebb and flow inside of a game and get your teammates involved but still be aggressive, it’s a fine line, but I thought he did a fine job of it tonight. If he continues to learn in that capacity, his game will continue to grow, which says a lot because he has so much game.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 9:31 PM.
